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3 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,A pril 4,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca ..From community developments to a look at rising stars on the local business, dining, events and entertainment scenes. We're proud to introduce you to the people & businesses that make up the community of Waterloo! CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY rising stars on the local business, dining, events www.waterloochronicle.ca Note: This is the third stories of a series on the institutional res- taurants of Waterloo Region. Check back next week for part four. It's known as the "Cheers of Waterloo." "Where else will you find a place like this at two in the after- noon on a Tuesday," said Jay Tay- lor, owner of Morty's Pub, point- ing to a fairly populated bar area. The nearly-40-year-old pub, lo- cated at 272 King St. N., in Water- loo, is all community. From pro- viding a location for campaign launches for the Knights of Co- lumbus' New Toys for Needy Kids campaign, to quietly donat- ing money to families in need, it's something that's been ingrained in Taylor since he was young. "My dad was really all about community," said Taylor. Morty Taylor, the namesake of the pub, started the first location in 1981, at the corner of King Street and University Avenue, where the Royal Bank of Canada currently resides. Morty was also a City of Waterloo alderman. Taylor, who helped his dad with his two businesses -- includ- ing a sub and sandwich supply service that supplied local conve- nience stores and shops with fresh sandwiches -- learned quickly the trials and tribula- tions of being in the food indus- try. It was when he was delivering subs that he learned the basics, such as rotating expiry dates. The two businesses, Mr. Sand- wich and Pizza Pie, then led Mor- ty to the next logical step -- open- ing up a pub. In 1981, Morty's was born. Although the intersection of King and University is now crawling with students, 1981 was a different story. The University of Waterloo, further west down University Avenue, was the main player in town and a budding Wil- frid Laurier University was at just 3,000 students. Where there are now condominium and apart- ment buildings all around, there were single-detached houses. "This was pretty much the boonies. This was basically the end of the road," said Taylor. In 1991, with business partner Eric Scholey, Taylor purchased the business from his dad. Scho- ley's parents re-mortgaged their home to lend them the money. Then, in 1996, after the pair paid off their previous loan, they borrowed -- yet again -- from Scholey's parents to buy the cur- rent location, which was a Val's Video at the time. They moved in- to their new location in 2000. The business ran smoothly and eventually, Scholey with- drew from the partnership. In 2007, Steve "Soupy" Campbell be- came a partner in the business. The two met each other through -- what else -- beer. Campbell, better known as "Soupy," was working at Laurier at the time. He was a patron of Morty's and the pair thinks they officially met at a Molson func- tion. "I'm sure a beer was involved here or there," said Campbell. Since then -- and really, since 1981 -- it's been the same old story for Morty's Pub. But in this case, staying the same is a good thing. "It's a dedication to tradition and consistency," said Taylor. "It's not revolution, it's evolu- tion." Sticking to solid, home cooked staple pub food on their menu, Taylor and Campbell have re- fused to cut corners or make drastic changes to the menu. Sauces, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, french fries and a plethora of other menu items are made fresh. The burgers don't come in a box -- in fact, it's Taylor grandmother's recipe that's still being used. Although the food is good -- nearly 40 years in business is evi- dence of that -- it's what goes on outside of the kitchen that makes Morty's truly special. "The soul of this place is the people. You can't just bring in these people who have been com- ing for 35 years," said Campbell. "A lot of the guys here grew up around the neighbourhood and they're still coming here." The community aspect was evi- dent in 2000, when Jay asked for help to move the restaurant just down the road. He says about 60 people -- both customers and staff -- showed up to help them move. "People were carrying chairs and tables down the street," said Taylor. When it comes to the regulars at Morty's, it's not what you'd think. "We have blue collar, white collar, no collar. We have young professionals, retirees, very dif- ferent background and demo- graphics," said Taylor. Taylor and Campbell are quiet about their charitable efforts, es- pecially when it comes to helping specific groups. But the pair esti- mate that over the last year-and- a-half, they've donated more than $100,000 to different local causes -- and their customers are getting involved as well. Taylor and Campbell had put some money together to help a family that had fallen on hard times -- about $50,000 to be exact. Normally choosing to keep it qui- et, they decided to tell a small group of regulars at the bar. They were later handed a cheque for $15,000. "Whatever it is, we circle the wagons and we help," said Camp- bell. Ever-humble, Campbell and Taylor say they owe the majority of their success to their loyal staff members -- some of whom have been around for more than 20 years. "We understand that what they do is not easy. Without them, Morty's is nothing," said Taylor. FOOD AND DRINK MORTY'S PUB - THE 'CHEERS OF WATERLOO' ADAM JACKSON ajackson@waterloochronicle.caajackson@waterloochronicle.caa Morty's Pub co-owners Steve "Soupy" Campbell, left, and Jay Taylor, right, stand with longtime staff member Kate Keiswetter in the dining area of the pub. Adam Jackson/Torstar Communities